What actually happens
A therapist whose own house needs a therapist
Will Harper is a therapist whose wife died suddenly in a car accident. His two daughters, Sadie and Sawyer, are mourning her as well. Then a troubled stranger, Lester Billings, walks into Will's office. He says his three children, including his youngest, Annie, were all killed by an evil entity that attached itself to his family. Will doesn't believe him and goes to phone the police, and Lester leaves before they can talk. Sadie later finds his body hanging in her late mother's art closet.
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A mold problem and a house guest named Rita
Strange mold begins spreading around the house. Sawyer catches sight of a sinister creature under her bed, and it keeps tormenting her. Sadie suspects all of this is tied to Lester's death, so she goes to the Billings house, which is run down. Inside she finds Rita, Lester's wife, who is no longer all there. Rita names the creature the Boogeyman and blames it for the deaths of her children. According to Rita, it feeds on fear and grief, can copy voices, and can only be kept away with light. Rita makes Sadie uneasy, so Sadie leaves.
A sleepover and a trap with a flaw
Sadie meets the Boogeyman during a sleepover with girls from her school, and soon afterward it attacks Sawyer, who ends up in the hospital. Rita contacts Sadie and says she needs help killing the creature. When Sadie arrives, Rita attacks her, because she plans to use Sadie as bait. The trap does not work, the Boogeyman survives it, and it kills Rita. Sadie escapes and finds that her family is back home, where Sawyer is hiding. The creature has dragged Will down into the basement.
A basement and a house on fire
This is the scene to be ready for, and it comes near the end. Sadie and Sawyer go down to the basement and find the Boogeyman feeding on their father. They get Will away from it, and the creature chases them around the basement. After a struggle, Sadie sets it on fire, which avenges the Billings family. The house burns while the three of them get out. Will, Sadie and Sawyer all survive this scene.
The ending, explained
Some time later, the family sits in on a group therapy session led by Dr. Weller. As they leave, Dr. Weller calls Sadie back, but when Sadie returns the office is empty and the closet door stands open. That suggests the creature has returned. Dr. Weller then appears and asks why Sadie is there, which makes Sadie suspicious, and she shuts the closet door. Will, Sadie and Sawyer are all alive at the end. Lester, Rita and the Billings children are not.
The post-credits ruling
There is no post-credits scene. You can leave when the credits start.
✓ Spoiled safelyDog status: none, no dog in the movie.
Questions people ask at 1am
Is The Boogeyman scary?
Yes. The Boogeyman is a 5 out of 10, with jump scares and a creature that lives in closets and under beds. The dread fades after about a night.
How does The Boogeyman end?
Sadie sets the creature on fire in the basement and the family escapes the burning house. Later, a therapist's office closet hints the creature may still be around, and Sadie shuts it.
Does the dog die in The Boogeyman?
No dog dies in The Boogeyman. There is no dog in the movie.
Is there a post-credits scene in The Boogeyman?
No. The Boogeyman has no post-credits scene, so you can leave when the credits start.
What is the Boogeyman in The Boogeyman?
In The Boogeyman it is an evil entity that feeds on fear and grief and can copy voices. Light is the only thing that keeps it away.
